Portable hot water heater



July 6, 1965 Filed Jan. '7, 1963 1N VEN TOR. MICKEY l M/CEMTV/TKAY HIS A rrozusv United States Patent O 3,192,916 PORTABLE HOT WATER HEATER Mickey Vincent Vitkay, Bairdsford, Pa., assignor of onehalf to Anthony N. Dnryea, Rural Ridge, Pa. Filed Jan. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 249,665 1 Claim. (Cl. 126-5) The invention relates to a new and useful improvement in water heaters and it has particular relation to a portable water heater particularly adapted for use by campers, Boy Scouts and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a small portable Water heater, which may be easily carried from one place to another place, a portable hot water heater that is easily assembled for use or disassembled for transporting the unit from place to place and to form a structure that will provide hot water in a very short period of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a water tank or container for a hot water heater that may be employed as carryall or knapsack by campers, Boy Scouts or the like on overnight hikes or camping trips.

At the present time, one of the greatest inconveniences present for campers, Boy Scouts and the like on overnight hikes, camping trips and the like is the inability to quickly provide hot water for the many uses required. I have provided a portable hot water heater, when in operation is formed with a lightweight metal water tank or container, a heating element spaced from the tank and a pair of hoses or pipes connecting the tank to the heating element to form the hot water unit. In the invention, I have provided the water tank or container with structural features so that the tank is formed into a carryall or knapsack for use on camping or biking trips. This permits, not only the packing of the heating elements into the tank but also the storing of other elements required for camping, such as for example, a pup tent, cooking utensils and the like. For a better understanding of the invention reference may now be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application together with the following description, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable hot water heater unit, formed in accordance with the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a water tank or container showing a modified form of a tank secured to a pack rack (broken lines) used by campers and Boy Scouts.

In practicing the invention and referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, a lightweight metal tank or container 10, rectangular in shape, which is adapted to contain water to be heated is provided with a front and back panel 11, side members 12, a bottom member 13 and a cover or top 14 hinged to the back 11. One of the sides 12, adjacent the bottom thereof is provided with a pipe fitting secured in the wall of the tank, the pipe fitting formed with a control valve 15. A second pipe fitting positioned above the first mentioned fitting is securedin the wall of the tank, intermediate the top of the tank and the first mentioned fitting, the second mentioned fitting formed with a control valve 17. Conveniently positioned on or adjacent to the back of the tank is provided a plurality of fasteners 01' clips 18, rigidly secured to the tank, through which is positioned shoulder straps 19, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. As an additional feature, handles 20 may be mounted on the sides of the tank, as shown.

When the portable hot water unit is set up for operation, as shown in FIG. 1, there is spaced from the tank "Ice 10 at a distance of one to twofeet a heating element 22 which includes a double coil 23 of four or five turns each positioned about the inner wall of a casing 24. The cas ing 24 is cylindrical in shape, open at the bottom and closed at the top. The top plate 28 is provided with a plurality of openings 29 providing the advantages of an additional cooking surface, to be used for brewing coffee or the like. A burner 30 extends upwardly into the bottom of the casing, with the burner plate 30a positioned directly below the bottom of the coils, thus providing a fast and efiicient heating element. While various types of fuel may be employed for heating the water, the burner here employed is adapted for use with propane gas, the container of which may be used as a base 31 of the heating element. It is to be understood that the gas container may also be formed to be carried on the side of the water tank.

The heating element 22 and the tank 10 are operatively connected together by means of a bottom hose 33 threaded to valve connection 15 and end 26 of the coil 23 with atop hose connection 34 connected to valve connection 17 and end of coil 27. As shown, a valve 36 is provided in the upper hose 34, "adjacent the end 27 of the coil. However, the valve 36 may be connected to the end of the coil, forming a part thereof, with the end of the hose connected to the valve. The hose connections niay be formed of various materials such as flexible pipe, metal tubing or thelike but in the invention plastic tubing has been employed. a

With the device assembled, as shown in FIG. 1, the tank or water container 10 filled with water, the valves 15 and 17 open, thus providing a flow of water from the tank through the coils and with the burner 30 ignited, hot water is provided in a matter of minutes. It is to be noted that, when required, hot water can be provided in considerably less time than that stated above. With the device in operation, this is provided by merely closing valve 17, leaving valve 15 open and in a matter of seconds drawing hot water by opening valve 36. When the portable hot water heateris disassembled for transfer from place to place, the heating element together with the hoses and the like are packed into the tank or container. In

addition, all of the other equipment normally required for an overnight hike by Boy Scouts or the like may also be packed into the tank providing a camping kit or pack, of a size comparable with that of the regular Scout pack and a pack that i easily and readily carried on the back of the Scout or other camper. It is to be noted that the tank employed in this invention is portable in that it has a capacity of about six or seven gallons- In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 2, a cylindrical shaped tank or water container 39 is provided for the portable hot water unit. This form is provided because of its ease in adapting itself to a rack 40, which now forms a part of a great many Scouts or campers equipment. The cylindrical tank is easily secured to the rack 40 by means of straps 41. The tank 39 is provided with the same type valve connections as that described for tank 10 and in addition drain valve 42 is provided as shown. The size and capacity of tank 39 is substantially the same as the size of tank 10.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a portable hot water heater, that is truly portable, one in which elements thereof may be employed in several uses, a unit simple in construction, eflicient in operation and of relatively low cost. Moreover, it is apparent that one that is needed in this particular art and that the many 15 advantages and uses of this invention will be apparent to those familiar with the art.

What I claim:

A portable cooking and hot Water heater comprising a Water tank provided with a removable top, two valved connections, one above the other formed in the side of the tank, a heating element formed With a burner positioned in the bottom of a casing, the top of the casing forming a cooking hot plate, a double coil burner formed within the casing of the burner, the coil terminating in ends one above the other, means on the ends of the coil for detachably mounting the heating element of the valves on the side of the tank, with the top valve closed to assist in the heating of the water and a Water dispensing valve mounted on the top of the coil for removing the water.

Hersey 126344 McGinley 126-362 Milsted 126-462 Meem l26344 X Williams 126--344 X Hamilton 126-344 X Oys 224-5 X Charpiat 2245 X Bryden 126344 FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner.

15 JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Examiner. 

